For the Love of Haruhi
by sadevotchka
Summary: Who will win Haruhi's heart?  Find out when the members of the Host Club, along with some special guests, compete for her love in JTV's newest reality show "For the Love of Haruhi."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I obviously don't own anything. **

**Ch. 1 For the Love of Who?**

Haruhi was heading home from University, glad that her first year was finally over. She was looking forward to having an uneventful summer with the occasional visits from the former members of the Host Club. It had been almost a year since she had last seen most of the members of the Host Club. Everyone decided to do their own thing once they graduated. Hunny and Mori stayed in Japan and ran their family's dojos; Tamaki also stayed in Japan and was preparing to take over the Souh company; Kyoya surprised everyone and went to America to continue his education; Lastly, Hikaru and Kaoru went to Paris to study fashion and begin their own line.

And Haruhi? Well, Haruhi took the scholarship offered to her and went to Ouran University. Her heart was set on going to America to obtain her law degree. She had even researched many of their schools, but she realized very soon she would not be able to afford it even with some scholarships available.

Hunny and Mori visited her occasionally, but they were both very busy. Tamaki had taken her out to lunch a handful of times, but she could only handle so much. The twins emailed her often, and reminded her that once they visit she would have to model all of the clothes they designed for her. Kyoya didn't keep in touch much, sending the occasional email during holidays or her birthday. Haruhi figured Kyoya was probably busier than most. What surprised her was the occasional emails from Nekozawa-san and Casanova-kun. She had even met up with Nekozawa-sempai for coffee; although it was dark out, it was still nice.

When Haruhi entered her home she went straight for her laptop. It was the last day of finals and she was more than sure she would getting an email or two informing her of someone's impending arrival. Sure enough, she had six new emails. Looking at the list of senders she rolled her eyes knowing that all those emails probably held the exact same information, all except for one. When she opened the sixth email she was immediately put on guard. She had first thought it must be some mistake, why would MTV be emailing her? The more she read the more she thought it had to be some mistake.

JTV was recruiting for a new reality show, based off some of the popular ones in America. They wanted her to be the "lead", and already had the rest of the cast figured out. The executives of the show were requesting a meeting for the day after tomorrow. Haruhi wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of being on a reality show, so she decided she would show up at the meeting tomorrow with every intention to turn down the offer. She really didn't even know why they would consider her anyways.

Haruhi had to take the train to the business district and proceeded to walk to the JTV Japan offices. She informed the receptionist on the first floor who she was, and the women immediately gave her a visitors badge. She was to go the 10th floor and the receptionist there would show her to the conference room. Haruhi was led to the 3rd conference room and she suddenly got a sense of déjà vu, but she quickly shook it off. She stopped dead in her tracks when she walked in, this was something she definitely was not expecting.

Sitting amongst the JTV executives were the former Host Club, Nekozawa-sempai, Casanova-kun and Renge. Eyes wide she thought, 'Was this the rest of the cast? Oh God I hope not!'

"Ah, Fujioka-san, thank you for joining us. Please have a seat." One of the executives politely brought her out of her sudden shock.

"Fujioka-san, I'm Takahara Yuki, this is Yoshida Kaito and Tanaka Kimiko. We are in charge of casting for the show." They all stood and bowed slightly to their guest. Takahara-san and Yoshida-san were both dressed more casually than Haruhi had expected. They both wore slacks but their button up shirts were worn casually with no tie. Their sleeves were rolled up to their elbows and the top buttons of their shirts were undone. The woman, Tanaka-san, was dressed in a tight pencil skirt, with a short sleeved striped button up. They all looked liked idols, and it made Haruhi instantly uncomfortable. "As you can see, this is the cast that we decided on." Takahara-san continued gesturing to the Host Club, Renge, Nekozawa-san, and Casanova-kun.

Haruhi was about to ask a question, but before she could get the words out a familiar voice to the right of her spoke.

"May I ask why you decided on us? It seems as if you know enough about all of us to bring us together for the show." Kyoya interjected, wanting to get straight to business.

"Well Tanaka-san's little sister went to Ouran with you. I also believe she visited the Host Club. While discussing ideas for the show, she shared a story about a girl who dressed as a boy in her sister's school and acted as a male host. This girl was loved greatly by her friends, and many of the girls thought that all the guys, as well as some others, were secretly in love with her." Yoshida-san paused for a reaction from the group of people before him. He didn't receive much of a reaction except a bright red blush from both Haruhi and Casanova-kun and Renge smiling excitedly as her eyes transformed into hearts. It seems Renge could see where this was going.

"What does any of that have to do with why we're here?" Kyoya questioned hastily. He was annoyed, he wanted to get this over with. Kyoya had more important things to tend to besides listening to some girl's fantasy story.

"Well, I thought it would be obvious Ootori-san. This is a love show," Tanaka-san said with a knowing smirk that rivaled Kyoya's.

"What?" Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru all but yelled.

'Oh God, this is the cast? Wait! They want me to be the lead? That means….Oh No!' Haruhi screamed in her head. Why couldn't she just have a normal life?

"You said in the email that you wanted me to be the lead?" Haruhi questioned hesitantly to no one in particular.

"Yes Fujioka-san. As Tanaka-san said, this is going to be a love show with you as the lead." He motioned to everyone else in the room, "They will be trying to win your heart through a series of competitions. The winner or winners of said competitions will be rewarded with a date."

Haruhi visibly paled at the thought of going on dates with everyone in the room. She was destined to never have peace in her life.

"I get to go on a date with my precious daughter! I agree to the show! Where's the contract?" Tamaki squealed excitedly as he squirmed in his chair.

"Yay, we want to go on dates with Haru-chan too. Right Takashi?" Honey clapped happily. He was now taller than Haruhi, but not by much. He still hadn't lost his Lolita-shota type personality.

Although Mori didn't verbally respond, he nodded and blushed slightly at the thought of a date with Haruhi. Hikaru and Kaoru grinned evilly at Haruhi which caused her to pale even more, if that was possible. As usual, there was no response from Kyoya. His face gave no indication of his thoughts on the matter. Casanova-kun and Nekozawa-san both smiled shyly at the girl. Haruhi then noticed that there was someone else in the room, Renge.

"Er…I don't know how to say this but, I'm not, well…um." Haurhi was blushing hard now, she didn't know how to say it. "I don't like girls! I know I dressed as a boy, but I don't like girls," she blurted.

The executives all looked amused at Haruhi's outburst; the hosts and Renge looked surprised as well. Realization set on some of their faces, they were trying to understand why Renge was there.

Takahara-san chuckled lightly, "I'm sorry if you misunderstood, Fujioka-san. Renge is part of the cast, but we want her to serve as the Host of the show. It became apparent after researching the Host Club that she had a flare for things like this."

If it was possible Haruhi's face turned even more red with embarrassment. She simply nodded her head meekly. Haruhi tuned out most of the meeting, she had already decided to turn down the offer. She had absolutely no interest in being the object of affection for eight guys. Unsurprisingly the only ones who had yet to agree were Haruhi, Kyoya, and Nekozawa; so when the negotiations finally reached them the executives were prepared to offer whatever they could for the show.

"Nekozawa-san, I know your main concern is the light, but most of the time you will be in the house. The only time you will be out of the house is during some competitions and dates. You are also more than welcome to keep your cloak on. So what do you say?" Yoshida-san questioned. They were really banking on the fact that he could keep the cloak on.

When Nekozawa nodded under his cloak the executives let out a sigh of relief. Now on to the two most difficult targets. There was no question that these two people had to be on the show; the executive producer had specifically told them that these two were required. If there were no Haruhi or Kyoya the show would be cancelled.

"Ootori-san, I know your main concerns are whether or not this would interfere with school and if it would upset Ootori-sama. I can assure you that Ootori-sama is well aware of what is going on and approves of you participating. As far as school goes, the shooting will take place during your break so there won't be any inconvenience in your studies." Tanaka-san spoke sweetly to Kyoya, although her eyes still held a calculating glint that Kyoya could recognize well.

Before Kyoya could answer, Takahara-san began speaking to Haruhi. "Fujioka-san, the only reason I can see for you declining is because of school. As you heard Tanaka-san explain to Ootori-san, the show will not in any way disturb your studies." Haruhi was about to open her mouth to refuse them, but Takahara-san held up his hand and began again, "Before you refuse, we also want to offer you a full scholarship to the university of your choice. This will of course include living expenses and air fare, should you choose to study abroad."

"I'm not sure," Haruhi finally spoke. "The idea of doing this type of show isn't at all appealing to me." She was trying to process all this information. On one hand, the opportunity to be able to go to any university was very appealing, and she would only have to do the show for a short while. On the other hand, the thought of having these eight males compete for her love was a little daunting. Of course she found them attractive in their own way, but she had never once thought of them as anything beyond friends. Well, if she was honest with herself, the thought had crossed her mind on a couple of occasions.

"Fujioka-san, this is a wonderful opportunity for you. Not only would you be getting paid for the show, but you would also receive a scholarship. We are not asking you to marry anyone, just simply go on dates. Although there will be an elimination ceremony. It will eventually come down to two potential love interest who you would have to choose between. There are no expectations for you to continue dating after the show; most of the couples produced by these kind of shows don't usually last. However, we do hope that you find love as that is, of course, the pretense of the show." Takahara-san continued his luring of Haruhi.

"Who says I'm interested in finding love? What I want right now is to finish school and become a lawyer. I have no interest in finding love on a reality show, let alone have millions of people watch it happening." Haruhi was becoming annoyed. Couldn't they see this was the last thing she wanted?

"Come on Haru-chan, it will be fun. We haven't all been together in a long time. Don't you want to hang out with us like before?" Hunny looked across the table at Haruhi, using his big, puppy-dog pleading eyes to rope her in.

"Yeah Haruhi, it's not like you have anything better to do." That's Hikaru for you. Unknowingly insulting you was his way of persuasion.

"Plus, don't you want to see Nekozawa-sempai scaring Tono every chance he gets?" Now Kaoru was trying.

"Wait! I don't want that evil man coming near my precious daughter or me!" Tamaki screamed. He just now seemed to notice that Nekozawa-sempai would be involved too.

"Shut up Tono, you already signed the contract," Hikaru and Kaoru said together as they bonked him on the head.

"If Kyoya-sempai thinks its a good idea then I'll agree. He is the most sensible out of everyone here." Haruhi decided this was the safest way to do things. She didn't want to hurt anyone by outright saying no, and she figured Kyoya would say no anyways.

Kyoya smirked as he looked at Haruhi; she was silently pleading with him to say no so she wouldn't have to. To Haruhi's utter disbelief he said, "I can see no reason to not participate in this show."

"Wonderful, just sign these contracts." Yoshida-san said while passing two contracts to both Haruhi and Kyoya. "Now, once you are done please head home and pack your belongings. There is a car waiting in the front of the building for each of you. The cars will take you home and then to the location for the show. All of you, of course, will be sharing a house."

And just like that, the reality show 'For the Love of Haruhi' was born.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my story. Reviews are greatly appreciated and might even speed up the updating process.


	2. Chapter 2

**For the Love of Haruhi**

Ch. 2 Rich Bastards and Their Mansions

Haruhi was silently packing her clothes, while Ranka was unpacking her own clothes. Her father was so excited that his daughter was participating in the show. Ranka quickly packed the cutest clothes he had bought for his daughter, not trusting her sense of style. Haruhi was still in a daze, that meeting hadn't gone at all like she had planned. After half an hour of packing Haruhi was finally, yet reluctantly, ready to leave.

Just as Yoshida-san had said, there was a sleek black car waiting for her and the driver got out to help Haruhi with her things. When they finally arrived Haruhi was completely captivated by the beauty and size of the house she would be living in. The landscaping around the house was gorgeous with cherry blossom trees, small hedges, and what looked like a koi pond, but she couldn't really tell. The house, or mansion actually, was had a modern and sleek design with white walls and straight lines. The roof, however, had dark japanese shingles that added a nice contrast.

Haruhi was brought out of her musings by familiar voice, "Ah Fujioka-san, I see you were admiring the house."

"Hello, Takahara-san. The house is very beautiful. Is everyone here already?" Haruhi asked with a tiny smile. Although she wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of doing the show, she had to admit that the accommodations were nice.

"Everyone has indeed arrived. They have all been spoken to on how the show will be shot and how Renge will fit into all this. Let's go sit inside and I'll explain the rest to you," Takahara-san led Haruhi inside the mansion and she followed him to the living room.

Everything in the mansion that was beautiful, understated, and modern. Nothing was completely lavish or gaudy, and Haruhi appreciated the simplicity of it all. That's not to say she didn't immediately recognize this as some rich bastard's house who probably paid more to make it look simple.

"Now that you have seen a little of the house, I should explain how everything is going to go. Firstly, the kitchen, dining, living, and game rooms are all on the first floor. Secondly, the bedrooms are all on the second floor. The boys will be sharing a room and you will have your own. There are no actual camera men here because we want this to feel as real as possible and having to avoid cameramen at every turn would make it impossible. There will only be two instances when you will see at least 2 cameramen, and that is when the challenges take place outside the house and when you go on dates outside of the house. Now, there are cameras everywhere except the bathrooms, so please keep that in mind. We won't tell you where they are, so please act as you normally do. Pretend there are no cameras." Takahara-san was smiling while explaining everything as if this wasn't one of Haruhi's more surreal moments.

"What are these challenges and what about Renge?" Haruhi inquired.

"As we discussed earlier, Renge-san is going to be the host. She will also be there to introduce challenges, when you have to decided to eliminate someone, and to conduct interviews with the men that have been eliminated. She won't be living in the house, but she is staying nearby and will most likely be here quite often. You will be informed about the challenges a day before they take place."

"So this is like a hidden camera show of some sort?" Haruhi asked.

"With a twist, yes. Now Renge is waiting for you upstairs to help you change clothes. There is a mixer going on for you. Have one on one dates with the guys and spend some time with them. They have to make you fall in love after all," And with the brightest smile Haruhi has ever seen, Takahara-san excused himself and Haruhi was left to her own devices.

Haruhi decided to explore the house later and went to find the stairs. She walked up the oak stairs that seemed to float with no support and quickly found her room. Her door read "Haru-chan"; she also noticed that the other rooms were assigned too. In one room there was Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Nekozawa. 'Someone is definitely messing with Tamaki.' Haruhi thought to herself. In the other room was Kyoya, Hunny, Mori, and Casanova. Before Haruhi could even open the door to her room fully,

"Haruhi! Hurry up! You have to get ready for the mixer!" Renge dragged Haruhi by the hand and quickly started working on her hair and make-up. "Aren't you excited Haruhi?

"I don't know if you could call it excited," Haruhi murmured softly as she let Renge brush some eye shadow on her eyes.

"How can you not be excited?" Renge asked as she pulled back slightly to observe her handy work. "You have eight guys fighting for your love. All of whom have been secretly pining for you for years! This is the most exciting thing ever!" Renge squealed excitedly.

"I've been friends with them for years; I can't just pick one without hurting all of them. I don't want anything to ruin the friendship we have." Haruhi sighed warily.

"Don't worry Haruhi, we'll cross that bridge when it comes. Now, let's get you in a dress!" Renge clapped her hands as she turned to walk to the closet.

* * *

Out in the backyard were eight men waiting on the girl they were all fighting for. Although none of them had actually confessed their feelings for her yet, it had become a silent admission that they all had feelings for her when they agreed to do the show. Whether Haruhi actually grasped that fact had yet to be seen.

The backyard was just as breathtaking as the rest of the house. There was a large infinity pool right in the center of the backyard that the twins were already swimming in. Cherry blossom trees were the only decorations that covered the other wise flat, expertly mowed, green terrain. There were tables, chairs, outdoor couches, and even a bbq pit; though no one could actually imagine that getting used.

Hikaru and Kaoru were leaning up against one of the pool walls and talking in hushed tones. They both knew that none of their "rivals" were going to get in the water until Haruhi came out. This was the perfect opportunity to strategize.

"Are we going to drive Tono crazy to get him out of here?" Hikaru questioned his brother while discreetly watching the men around him.

"I don't think we have to do much. Nekozawa-sempai is rooming with him too. We just have to sit back and watch," Kaoru replied thoughtfully. He knew there would be some strategy to securing dates with Haruhi. They would have to throw the others off their game and there was no one who could throw their former king off his game more than Nekozawa-sempai. As for the others…

"What about the others?" Hikaru asked in reply, but didn't wait for answer, "I don't think we have to worry about Casanova-kun, so we can leave him alone. Honey-sempai is another one we don't need to worry about."

"Mori-sempai and Kyoya could be our biggest competition. I'm not sure how serious Kyoya is, but he wouldn't do this if he didn't think it was worth it." The two were completely caught up in their musings to notice a dark figure walking quietly by them.

"It seems you two have forgotten about a worthy competitor" The dark figure spoke evenly from behind them.

"AHHHHHHH" Two identical screams were heard as everyone outside turned towards the pool. Hikaru and Kaoru were both clinging to each other for dear life as they turned around to face whoever was behind them.

"I apologize if I startled you," Nekozawa smiled wickedly at the two identical faces in front of him; eyes still slightly widened from fear and shock.

"Nekozawa-sempai, you shouldn't sneak up on people." Kaoru recovered first as he calmed his racing heart, trying to steady his voice as much as possible.

"I apologize. I just happened to overhear your conversation, and I felt I should inform you that you were overlooking a certain competitor."

"Are you talking about yourself? I really don't think we have anything to worry about if you are our competition." Hikaru stared blankly at Nekozawa as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru hissed at his twin. He may have thought the same thing as Hikaru, but he wasn't nearly as blunt. Kaoru didn't dislike Nekozawa, just thought he was a bit strange.

"I can see why you would think that, but if you were smart I wouldn't overlook _anyone._ We're all here because of one girl. Don't think we will give her up without a fight." Nekozawa walked away without waiting for a reply, suddenly very thirsty.

Over on the patio Kasanoda (aka Casanova-kun) was happily mixing drinks and showing off some bartending skills he just learned. Kyoya, Tamaki, Hunny, and Mori were seated around the small outdoor bar area drinking and making small talk.

"Takashi, do you think they are filming us right now?" Hunny questioned innocently while taking a sip of his strawberry daiquiri.

"Most likely" Mori responded in a monotone voice. After graduation Mori had begun talking more, although it's was still highly unlikely for anyone to hear more than a complete sentence.

"I wonder what sort of challenges we'll have to do to win Haru-chan's heart," Hunny wondered thoughtfully.

"Don't think I'm going to let any of you lecherous perverts near my pure daughter!" Tamaki yelled as he stood and raised his fists in the air as a declaration of war.

"Sit down idiot. You keep acting like that and you'll be eliminated first." Kyoya yanked the over zealous blond back down in his seat. Smirking, he picked up his drink and said, "On the other hand, act however you like, it'll be one less rival for me to worry about."

"MOTHER! How could you say something so cruel? Your supposed to protect your daughter's purity, not go after it!" Suddenly Tamaki found a corner to sulk in and began growing mushrooms.

"Idiot," Kyoya mumbled into his glass just as Nekozawa and the twins made their way over to the bar to join him and the other guys. Noticing the return of their cloaked rival, Tamaki decided to stay a comfortable distance away from him as he nursed his own drink.

Haruhi took a deep, calming breath while she stood atop the stairs gathering the courage to meet her friends turned potential suitors. It took quite the talking to from Renge to realize this could be a good thing. Haruhi was truthful in saying that although she found her friends handsome, she never really thought much about dating any of them. She had always been so serious about school that dating was never at the top of her priority list. Haruhi was now at a point in her life where she thought that having a boyfriend wouldn't be a distraction, but something she quite possibly needed. The men "fighting" for her here were all so different from each other and each had admiral qualities that she found attractive; so why not give it a shot? As Renge told her before not so gently pushing her out the door; what did she have to lose?

A loud "Hurry up Haruhi!" from Renge dragged Haruhi out of her thoughts and she made her way down the staircase determined to give this a real try. Haruhi was finally at the back patio door and she could her Renge giving the guys a speech.

"Okay, listen up! Just because you guys are friends doesn't mean you should go easy on each other. You're all here to win Haruhi's heart and nothing else! From this point on you're all rivals, and yes that means you twins as well! You can't both win her heart." Renge paused just long enough to hear the patio door open revealing a very beautiful looking Haruhi. "Our guest of honor has finally arrived. I'll be leaving her in your hands gentleman." With a final look of warning to the eight guys, Renge made her exit.

Silence filled the air as the eight guys took in the sight of the girl standing before them. Haruhi was in a dark blue satin strapless dress that ended mid-thigh and black peep toe pumps, looking surprisingly innocent in the sexy dress.

"Hi," Haruhi said awkwardly to the still silent guys.

Kyoya, being the quickest to cover up his emotions, ended the awkward silence, "Hello Haruhi, you look beautiful. Can I get you a drink?"

Haruhi smiled, glad that some of the tension eased, "Yes, please." Haruhi made her way towards the group of guys.

She was instantly engulfed by the twins. "Haruhi you look amazing!" Kaoru spoke first.

"Did you dress yourself?" Was Hikaru's way of complimenting her.

"You two let go of my daughter!" Tamaki yelled, once again reminding Haruhi why she only met him for lunch every couple of months.

A strong arm circled her waist and she was pulled away from the twin's grasp. Haruhi turned slightly to look up at her savior, only to meet the intense gaze of Mori. Blushing for some reason unknown to her Haruhi continued to stare at Mori before she realized that he was still holding her. Muttering a quick "thank you," Haruhi released herself from his hold and moved over to a chair next to Nekozawa. She was instantly greeted by the lowering of his hood and a shy smile. Haruhi had seen him like this before: on the few occasions they would go out for late night coffee Nekozawa would take off the hood of his cloak and sometimes his wig, but it was still surprising just how handsome he was.

"Hello Nekozawa-san, have they been treating you well?" Haruhi motioned to the usual offenders. Mainly Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru.

"As well as can be expected; and please call me Umehito, Haruhi." Umehito smiled as he hesitantly reached over the table and took her hand in his.

Smiling shyly and blushing for the second time that night, "Okay Umehito."

They were suddenly joined by Kyoya as he sat next to Haruhi and handed her a drink. "I know you like strawberries, so I made you a strawberry margarita."

"Thank you Kyoya," Haruhi replied as she reached for the drink. Haruhi fell into an easy conversation with Kyoya and Umehito while glancing at the other six guys. Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru were being their boisterous selves as they argued over some "maiden's" purity. Haruhi smiled as she saw Kasanoda, Hunny, and Mori talking at another table. It became apparent to her that she was given "alone" time with the guys at her table to get reacquainted.

"Haruhi, the three idiots over there are getting quite loud. Maybe you should go talk to them before they get too drunk." Kyoya said as he glanced over his shoulder glaring at the three drunkards.

Haruhi looked in the direction Kyoya had been looking and saw Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru with their arms around each other attempting to sing. Sighing she said, "I guess you're right. I better talk to them now while they can still form sentences," Haruhi spared a smile at Kyoya and Umehito before getting up from her seat and making her way to the slightly drunk trio.

"I see you three are enjoying yourselves," Haruhi remarked dryly and slightly annoyed. They were supposed to be here because they wanted to be with her, not to get drunk.

"Haaruuhiii!" The three friends chorused, swaying slightly.

"We were just giving you time to talk to Kyoya and Nekozawa," Kaoru smiled lopsidedly.

"So when are you getting rid of Nekozawa? You can't possibly be interested in him," Hikaru questioned.

"What makes you think I'll be getting rid of him Hikaru? He's good company and handsome underneath the cloak and hood." Haruhi glared at the older twin. She was always annoyed when Hikaru got jealous of her friendships with other people, mainly guys.

"You want to keep him around Haruhi? But he's evil, he'll put curses on us all." Tamaki was worried now. He had to share a room with the guy, there was no way Haruhi could keep him around very long.

"First of all, I don't owe any of you an explanation as to why I would want to keep _Umehito _around. Secondly, I swear if you three keep acting this way you'll be gone first." Haruhi seethed as she turned away from them and walked to the table occupied by Hunny, Mori, and Kasanoda.

"Haru-chan! Did you come to talk to us?" Hunny questioned happily as the girl in took a seat at the table.

"Yeah. What are you all doing?" Haruhi didn't direct the question at anyone in particular, but she would bet money that Mori and Kasanoda wouldn't be answering.

"We were just trying to figure out what challenges we will have to do. Haruhi blinked several times as she came to the conclusion that she would have lost that previous bet. It was Mori that had answered.

"Really? What did you come up with? I won't know of the challenges until the day before each one." Haruhi was curious, she hadn't had a chance to discuss this particular subject with anyone just yet.

"Not much. According to Ritsu there might be some sort of athletic competitions. Other than that we aren't too sure." Hunny said rather thoughtfully.

"Ritsu?" She turned to the Kasanoda and smiled.

"Yes, please call me Ritsu." He managed to say, although the beginnings of a blush were already appearing on his cheeks.

Haruhi smile sweetly in return. Soon enough she was comparing drinks with Hunny, talking about the dojo with Mori, and discussing Ritsu's gardening. She actually had a good time learning more about her friends. She never had much time before to just sit and talk, and she was happy for the opportunity to do so.

Though, all too soon, it had to end. Renge decided to appear before them once again as the familiar sound of gears turning and annoying laughter filled their ears. "I'm sorry, but I'm stealing Haruhi. We have much to discuss about the first competition tomorrow. You can stay out here as long as you like, but I suggest getting some rest; you will need your strength."

Haruhi reluctantly stood and said her goodbyes. As she walked towards the door she felt two arms encircle her waist and pull her slightly into their hold.

"Good night Haruhi. I hope you know I have no intention of losing you to anyone here," Kyoya smirked as he whispered in her ear.

Not trusting herself to speak just yet, Haruhi simply nodded. Kyoya released his hold from her as he turned away, smirking at the somewhat stunned faces of his rivals. They had all come to a reluctant agreement that they were all free to flirt and/or touch Haruhi without interference from someone. They all agreed that this was the only way for Haruhi to see that she was desired by each of them.

Before Haruhi could even fully enter her bedroom she was instantly pounced on by Renge, "Okay so I know we have to talk about the challenge tomorrow, but more importantly who are you interested in more? Is it the dark, mysterious, but surprisingly handsome one? The tall, silent yet powerful one? The jester-like prince? The lolita? The calm, calculating, dark prince? The sweet, misunderstood one? OH! Or do you like twins? Haruhi! Tell me!" Renge managed to ramble in just one breath.

Haruhi was slightly awed. Renge already came up with each of their characters. She silently wondered what Renge categorized her as. She was brought out of her silent musing by a hand waving in her face.

"Well?" Renge questioned impatiently.

Haruhi smiled as she shook her head. Renge was here to help her with this since she was slightly inept in this arena, "Well you see…"

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Sorry I was so late to update, but I had major writers block and then my computer crashed. I was also plain lazy. I don't know when I'll be able to start ch 3 since I don't have a computer right now, but I promise to get it out soon. Thanks to my "beta" who attempts to fix all my punctuation mistakes.** **I also realize that it may seem a little OOC, but there isn't much I can do about that. I don't really know how I should write Renge, Nekozawa, and Kasanoda so I'm just winging it. **

**OH! Please review! It lets me know people are actually reading my story and encourages me to continue. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **

I'm sorry for the long wait. I finally have chapter 3 finished. Thank you for waiting patiently and for all of your reviews. I promise to try and update more frequently. Enjoy.

* * *

**CH. 3 Let the Games Begin**

Haruhi awoke to a very annoying alarm clock blaring in her ear. Wearily, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Haruhi sat up abruptly not recognizing the room she was in at all. '_What the hell! Who's room am I in? OH! That's right. I'm on that show. Oh God…Did they just catch me freaking out on camera? Ugh, this is gonna be a long few weeks.'_ Haruhi thought to herself as her mind was going a million miles a minute. She looked at the small bedside table next to her and realized there was a small envelope with her name on it. Haruhi reached over and opened the envelope to see a small note inside:

_**Haruhi, **_

_**Now that you are awake go down and eat some breakfast. The first challenge is today, and you have to make sure you have your strength! Now, after this particular challenge there will be a group date rewarded to the team that wins. The date will be a dinner date. On a sad note, there will also be the first elimination tonight. After the date, we will go to your room and discuss who should be eliminated. Now, today's challenge will be…DODGEBALL! There will be teams of four. You will choose the team captains and they in turn will choose their team. So go eat, inform them of the challenge, and let them know it will be at noon!**_

_**Renge**_

A light smiled played on Haruhi's lips as she lifted herself from her new bed and got dressed. She dressed decently enough and headed downstairs to the kitchen. What she found in the kitchen certainly surprised her. Logically she knew that she was living with eight males, but she somewhere in her mind that she did not expect to see them sitting in the kitchen half asleep and slightly irritated. They were all seated at a breakfast table in the kitchen presumably waiting for her. Haruhi was even surprised to see Kyoya there; he wasn't exactly an early riser. Then again it was almost ten in the morning already.

"Haru-chan! You're finally awake!" Hunny yelled happily when he caught sight of the slightly bewildered girl.

"Haruhi, we've been waiting for you," Kaoru groaned as he sleepily lifted his head from the counter where it had been resting.

"Yeah we haven't even eaten breakfast yet," Hikaru chimed in not bothering to lift his head. The hangover was killing him.

"Why haven't you eaten?" Haruhi questioned confusedly.

"I'm not sure if you noticed Haruhi, but none of us can cook. Our chefs usually handle that task for us," Kyoya responded in his usual cold, unapologetic tone.

Haruhi looked at the table in mock anger and was amused to see the different facial expressions that the eight different men gave her. Hunny and Tamaki looked at her with equally pitiful puppy-dog eyes, although the latter's lip was slightly quivering. Hikaru was pleading with his eyes and Kaoru was trying hard to feign innocence. Kyoya looked at her expectantly, as if he assumed she knew she was supposed to cook breakfast for them. The last three looked at her apologetically, silently asking if it was alright.

Haruhi sighed in defeat. No matter how annoying they could be she couldn't let them suffer. They did have a big day after all. "Okay, I'll make us breakfast." Haruhi's smirk rivaled Kyoya's, and quite frankly it scared some of them.

Haruhi set the platters of pancakes and eggs down in the middle of the table and sat down to join everyone. She smiled slightly as she noticed that no one was speaking. 'I guess they were really hungry after all,' she thought. "Umm, just so you know, the first challenge is today," she told them all.

A collective, "What!" was heard as forks clattered on the plates.

Haruhi snickered at their response, 'seems they weren't expecting that just yet.'

"Haruhi," Kyoya started slowly as he wiped the corners of his mouth clean. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"Sorry _sempai, _it just slipped my mind," Haruhi smiled sweetly at him.

"Haruhi, what are we going to be doing?" Tamaki asked. He had been unusually quiet, seems his hanger over was just a little worse than the others.

"Hmm…I don't know if I should tell you just yet." She tapped her pointer finger thoughtfully on her lips.

"Haaruuhiii!" The twins and Hunny whined.

"Are we going to be outside?" Umehito asked tentatively.

"Please Haruhi." Ritsu tried his best to sound confident.

"Ok, well what I can tell you is that you must be ready at 12 and dressed for some physical activity. Oh, and meet me out front." Haruhi explained as she started picking up the dishes so she could wash them. Knowing they'd been dismissed they all got up and decided they might as well get ready.

Haruhi and Renge were outside by 11:45, waiting patiently for the boys. Renge somehow got Haruhi into a cute referee's outfit. She was wearing short black shorts, and a very fitted and slightly low cut black and white striped shirt. She even had a whistle around her neck. Renge was fidgeting excitedly and going on and on about how this was gonna be amazing, and how she couldn't wait to see which boys won the date. Meanwhile, Haruhi was busy worrying her bottom lip while her right hand idly played with the whistle around her neck. She was a bit worried about the safety of the game since she was sure none of them had ever Dodgeball.

Just as Haruhi was looking at her watch she heard a loud squeal and looked up. She seriously thought she was in a manga for a second. Eight guys were walking towards her, seeming to sparkle as the sun shone down on them. Yup, it was official, she was slowly losing her mind. Shaking her head of her thoughts, Haruhi smiled reassuringly at the guys as they approached.

"Ok guys, I know you're all excited about your first challenge today so let me explain: You won't know anything until we get to our destination." Renge laughed evilly.

All eight guys groaned disappointedly, the anticipation was killing them. They reluctantly got into the waiting limo that would take them to their destination while Haruhi and Renge got into a separate limo. The limos drove them to a huge indoor gym. Some of the guys were very hopeful, realizing that the challenge couldn't be all that bad if it was indoors.

All eight guys, Haruhi, and Renge walked into the main part of the gym where the basketball court was. There were three red balls in the center of the basketball court.

"I guess we have left you in suspense long enough. The challenge today is…"

"Basketball!" Kaoru and Hikaru shouted happily in unison.

"Wrong," Renge deadpanned, "If you would please let me finish. The challenge is…DODGEBALL!" she squealed excitedly. Haruhi was standing next to Renge looking extremely nervous. She didn't have a very good feeling about this challenge.

The guys looked positively dumbfounded, they had no idea what the hell Dodgeball was.

"Um, Haruhi what's Dodgeball?" Ritsu voiced the question they all had.

"It's a commoner game, now before I explain the rules I'll have you pick your teams. There will be two captains: Hunny and Mori. Since you two work well together I have to separate you two. You two will take turns picking your teammates."

On team Mori there was Kyoya, Kaoru, and Umehito. On team Hunny there was Hikaru, Tamaki, and Ritsu.

With the teams picked Haruhi began to explain the game, "Okay now the premise of Dodgeball is to grab the balls and throw them at each other…"

She didn't get a chance to finish that sentence because as soon as the words left her mouth eight guys ran past her to the three balls on the court and preceded to throw them quite violently at each other. Mori, with his long limbs, was the first to reach a ball and threw it at the first person he saw, Kyoya. The ball hit Kyoya in the gut and knocked the air out of him. Tamaki and Hunny got the other two balls and threw them at each other; both balls rebounded on each other and flew straight into Ritsu's and Kaoru's face.

Haruhi and Renge were shouting furiously trying to catch the males' attention, and finally a stray ball rolled to Haruhi. She picked up the ball threw it as hard as she could hitting Mori in the back of the head while she yelled, "STOP!" at the top of her lungs.

"You idiots aren't supposed to throw the balls at your teammates! You're on teams for a reason. Now let me explain the damn rules before you injure yourselves more." Haruhi took a few calming breaths, and all the guys had the decency to look slightly ashamed at their behavior. "Okay now as I was saying before, both teams will stand at opposite ends of the court and when I blow the whistle you will all rush forward and try and grab one of the three balls. Now I know there are eight of you and only three balls, but that is the point. Once you have possession of the ball you will immediately try and hit one of your opponents with the ball. There will be NO face shots, ok? If you throw the ball at an opponent and hit them they will be eliminated; however, if they catch the ball YOU will be eliminated. This will continue until there is only one person left standing. The team with the last person standing will win a group date with me later on today. Now please get to your positions." Haruhi finally got to finish the rules.

The boys got into the their teams and got into position waiting for Haruhi to blow the whistle. She made them wait a little longer than necessary, and the boys ran to the balls when they heard the whistle. Mori, Kyoya, and Tamaki were the first to reach the balls. Tamaki threw the ball at Kaoru, not wanting to incur the wrath of Kyoya or Umehito. Kaoru skillfully dodged the ball, and ran to pick it up. Kyoya threw the ball at Ritsu who also dodged. Mori, however, hit his target; Hunny was eliminated first. It was safe to say that Hunny didn't expect for Mori to go after him and was therefore caught by surprise. Kaoru threw the ball at his brother who was also caught by surprise, Hikaru dodged and picked up the stray ball. Out of anger Hikaru threw the ball at his twin, and in a moment of panic Kaoru grabbed the nearest person and used them as a shield instead of dodging or catching the ball. The shield was Umehito.

"You idiot! Don't use your teammates as shields!" Kyoya shouted as the adrenaline from the game began to effect his normally calm façade.

Mori turned his head to look at Kyoya yelling and in that instant felt a ball hit his thigh. Just like that Team Mori lost two members. Kyoya and Kaoru were the only ones left on Mori's team. Hunny's team still had Tamaki, Hikaru and Ritsu. Kyoya and Kaoru each had a ball, so did Tamaki. They were at a stand off, tired and panting. With an understanding glance at each other Kyoya and Kaoru both threw the ball at Tamaki knowing that the blond would get flustered. Tamaki fully lived up to their expectations as he was only able to dodge one of the balls and in a state of panic dropped his own ball. The teams were now on even playing ground. The only problem was that now Hikaru and Ritsu were in possession of all three balls.

Haruhi had never seen Hikaru grin so evilly. She was on the sidelines with Renge and the rest of the eliminated players. Renge had been taking the eliminated players one by one, conducting private interviews about the game they had just played. Haruhi had no idea who she wanted to win, she honestly wanted to go on dates with all of them. She was at a loss of who to cheer for.

Hikaru was holding two of the balls and, as if on cue, threw one at Kyoya who dodged easily only to have two more coming straight at him in rapid succession. He was hit with both of them. Needless to say, Kyoya vowed revenge. Kaoru was now in possession of all three balls. As much as he loved his brother Renge was right: this was a competition and he wanted to win this date with Haruhi. Kaoru threw the balls one after another. Ritsu was out and now it was down to him and his brother. The twins stared at one another. They both knew they would have to compete against each other, but knowing and doing were two different things. Right now Hikaru held all the balls in his court; he had to make his move.

Haruhi was watching nervously biting her lip. As the game progressed she became increasingly aware that it might come down to these two. She didn't want a competition to come between the two brothers.

The twins knew each other so well and therefore anticipated the others tricks and movements. Both teams were actively cheering for their teammates when suddenly the gym grew quite. The twins stood, hands on their hips, gasping for breath. Snapping out of their shocked states, Hunny's team erupted in cheers and ran towards Hikaru. Hikaru was exhausted and after accepting the congratulations from his teammates walked over and embraced his twin. Mori's team looked tired and disappointed.

Haruhi smiled at the twins, and went over to congratulate Hikaru and the rest of the team.

"Both teams played really well and I enjoyed watching the game. As all of you know, Hunny's team won which means we are going on a date today. Hikaru, since you were the last one standing you will get some one on one time with me sometime during our date. I do have some bad news. After the date tonight there will be an elimination. Now let's get back to the mansion and get ready. Our date will be at 6 tonight." And with that everyone headed out to the limos to get back to their temporary home.

* * *

Hunny's team sat down in the living room waiting patiently for the girl they were all fighting for. Renge had just given them a pep talk and made sure they all looked presentable. Kyoya, Mori, Umehito and Kaoru walked into the living room, not wanting to be sore losers, they wanted to see Haruhi off.

Haruhi walked down the stairs dressed casually in a strapless lavender sundress with white wedges. She never went out on dates, and while it was true that she had met up with a few of them for lunch and coffee, she never considered those dates. Not only was this basically her first date, it was with four very good-looking guys. Needless to say she was very nervous.

All the males greeted her after an awkward silence, and each made sure to tell her how beautiful she looked. She really did have the ability to stun them into silence. Haruhi blushed at the compliments she received and, with a smile that made them melt, she thanked them.

Haruhi looked over at her dates, "Are ya'll ready to go?" Haruhi waved good bye to the other four guys and walked out to the limo. Hunny held the door open while Tamaki guided her in the limo. Haruhi blushed at them both. She wasn't completely used to their gentlemanly like behavior directed at her. Inside the limo she sat in between Ritsu and Hikaru.

"So Haruhi, where will we be going?" Hikaru questioned as he turned his body slightly to face her.

"There's this really nice sushi place near a park by my old neighborhood. I thought we'd go pick up sushi and have a picnic in the park."

"Wow, Haru-chan! That sounds nice," said Hunny with a smile.

"Thanks Sempai, I thought we'd keep it simple for a first date." Haruhi couldn't help the slight blush that crept on her cheeks. All the males in the limo thought it was the most adorable thing in the world.

Before long they were sitting on a very large blanket with an array of sushi before them. The guys really spared no expense when it came to her and although Haruhi normally wouldn't have liked them spending so much money she couldn't help but feel a little special. She decided to embrace being on the show after all. The conversation was very light and pleasant aside from some of Tamaki's outbursts. It seems he was having the hardest time not being his usual Haruhi-doting self.

Haruhi was having a hard time trying to figure out who she was going to eliminate. She honestly couldn't imagine eliminating any of the guys back at the mansion, and the four guys she was with were all wonderful.

"I'm sorry guys, but I think its time for my one on one time with Hikaru," Haruhi smiled apologetically to the other three guys. "Are you ready Hikaru?" Haruhi held out her hand to him.

Not bothering to let go of each others hands, Hikaru and Haruhi strolled along the pathway in the park. They didn't talk about anything serious, keeping to light subjects. Hikaru talked about how wonderful Paris was and how much Haruhi would love it there. He told her about the museums he frequented and promised to show her around if she came to visit. Haruhi couldn't be happier. The normally rash and outspoken older twin was very charming now that they were alone. He really had grown up, and she couldn't help but think that going to Paris had been a very good thing for him.

The sky was darkening when they realized it was time to go back. It was a very solemn ride back to the mansion. Although Hunny, Tamaki, Ritsu and Hikaru tried to be cheerful, they couldn't help but feel a certain sense of dread. Eliminations were tonight.

* * *

Haruhi sat at the edge of her bed talking to Renge about the eight guys there. She looked at the eight picture frames she had on a shelf and sighed at her predicament.

"Renge, I can't just choose one. They are all my friends, I don't want to hurt anyone." Haruhi held her head in her hands as she whined.

"Haruhi, they knew what they were getting into when they signed up for the show. They knew that you couldn't pick all of them and that there was a very big chance they would not win. Give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure for a while they will be upset, but you mean a lot to them and I doubt this would ruin your friendship." Renge tried really hard to make Haruhi see reason. If the twins could get past competing with each other then surely Haruhi could do this.

"I guess your right. So now I just have to figure out who to eliminate," Haruhi said thoughtfully.

"Yes! Now spill, who's captured your heart?" Renge listened carefully to Haruhi as she spilled her guts. It was painfully obvious who should be eliminated.

* * *

The eight guys stood in a random room in the mansion that they soon realized would be the elimination room. None of them felt like they had spent enough time with Haruhi to plead their cases. Hikaru was probably the only one with a genuine smile on his face. His one on one time with Haruhi went great and he knew he wouldn't be going home today.

Haruhi walked into the elimination room with Renge. Her heart felt heavy with the weight of her decision. Haruhi stood before the eight guys who were trying not to look like nervous wrecks. The only ones that managed that were Kyoya, Mori, and Hikaru. She looked to Renge for encouragement, who smiled and nodded reassuringly.

Haruhi turned back to the her guys, "I just want you all to know that this was in no way an easy decision. I hope that when this is all over we can all remain friends. I would hate to lose any of you because of this show. I don't want to keep you in suspense any longer, so Hikaru would you please come up here?"

Hikaru walked up with a cocky grin and stood before Haruhi. "Hikaru, you really impressed me today on our date. I had a really great time with you and I can't believe how much you've truly grown as a person. Would you please stay here and continue to fight for me?" Haruhi looked up at Hikaru with her wide, innocent brown eyes.

He smiled at Haruhi and brought her into a hug. He whispered in her ear, "Of course, Haru-chan," causing her to shiver to run up her spine. Hikaru walked back to his spot amongst his competitors.

Haruhi was blushing crimson as she gathered her thoughts, "Um, yes. Ok. Mori please come down here."

The elimination ceremony continued until it was down to the last two. Hunny and Ritsu stood nervously awaiting their fate.

"Ritsu, Hunny, could you both come down here?" Haruhi was looking at them pleadingly. Not only was she tired, but she really had no desire to do this.

"You are both extremely wonderful people. I feel that I haven't really spent that much time with either of you since you got here, and I honestly can't see more than friendship with one of you. Ritsu," she turned away from Hunny, "would you please stay here and continue to fight for me?" Haruhi offered him a lopsided smile. In a moment of utter happiness Ritsu picked her up and spun her around telling her that of course he would stay. She had literally made him the happiest guy in the world for that one moment.

Once she was safely back on the ground Haruhi looked at Hunny sadly, "I'm sorry, Sempai…"

Before she could finished, Hunny cupped her cheek and gave her a small peck on the other cheek. "It's ok Haru-chan, I didn't think I would've made it very far anyways. I just wanted to spend time with you." Hunny then turned to his friends and said his good byes as he left.

Haruhi walked to the small table on her left and picked up the champagne flute; the remaining seven guys followed suit.

They all raised their glasses, "A toast to the rest of our time together."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for reading. Please review as it makes me smile. **


End file.
